Servant to the Queen
by Oogi
Summary: Anna is a lowly ice harvester who sneaks into the castle on the night of Queen Elsa's coronation, and accidentally develops a crush on her sovereign ruler. Now, months later, her and her partner Kristoff are on the verge of starvation from their failing business, and Anna is forced to take on a job as a servant in the castle. Full summary inside, but this will be Elsanna, DL;DR. AU
1. Come One, Come All

Ok, so here goes, my first Frozen multi-chap AU! I've been wanting to do this since I saw the film, and if you guys like it or have any ideas on how it should go, let me know 'cause I'm just kind of winging it haha. Happy Reading!

**Anna, a simple ice harvester in the kingdom of Arendelle, sneaks into the castle on the night of Queen Elsa's coronation disguised as royalty only to become attached to the Queen herself. 18 months later Anna and her partner Kristoff are on the verge of starvation, and in the need of a new source of income. Anna takes on a job as a servant in the castle. Will the Queen recognize her as the girl who stole her heart all that time ago, or is Anna too late to win it back?**

The busy streets of Arendelle were bustling with activity of all sorts. People were busying themselves hanging streamers from the rooftops, setting up decorations in the middle of the bazaar, even going as far as to put up a game for the children in the town square. It was safe to say that everyone in the kingdom was out of the house today, from the smallest child to the eldest man, not a soul would dare miss out on a day such as this, the queen's coronation. Ever since the late King and Queen, rest their souls, disappeared nearly three years ago, the people of Arendelle had been awaiting this day, the day when the Princess, the sole heir to throne, came of age and took her place as Queen.

And now the day they'd been waiting for was finally here, and what a perfect day it was; a slightly warm breeze, not a cloud in the sky, it was an absolutely glorious day-

The perfect day for business, that is. At least it was to a certain red-haired girl bouncing excitedly next to a sleigh full of ice.

"Come one, come all, and get the best ice in all of Arendelle! Straight from the North Mountain, folks! Doesn't get any colder than this, I mean, unless you went further north, then I'm sure it could get a little colder, but this is a close second! And-" a burly hand clamped down over her mouth, effectively silencing her 'advertising'.

Her eyes widened slightly before she heard a light hearted chuckle in her ear, "Calm down there, feisty pants. I don't want you scaring away our potential customers." With a huff the girl broke free of her captor's grasp and whirled around to face him, an angry glare in her blue eyes and a playful glint in his. They held each other's stare for minutes until the girl broke away and slid down the side of the sleigh with a sigh.

"Sorry, Kristoff," she muttered as she buried her face in her arms, "I can't do anything right." Not entirely expecting this sudden self-pity from his bubbly companion, the blonde in question awkwardly shuffled next to his friend before leaning down to gently pat her shoulder.

"Hey, now don't be like that," he spoke in what he hoped was a convincingly soothing voice, "You're good at lots of things, Anna."

She sniffed and shifted slightly to look up at him, "Really? Like what?"

"Uh, well, you can… what I mean is, there's that one thing you do, y'know," Anna gave him a look like she was about to burst into tears any moment, so he hurriedly blurted the first thing he could think of, "You taught Sven to do that thing with the snowballs!"

Her face lit up, "You mean the catapult?! Oh yeah!" she bounced right up and began pacing around, continuing her cheerful advertising as if she'd never been interrupted in the first place. The mountain man shook his head as his friend continued her antics. Anna certainly was an odd one all right, but she was practically family to him, he'd known her for as long as he could remember. As kids, it was just him and her, out on the ice with the ice harvesters, trying their little hearts out to cut out a block bigger than themselves so they could earn enough money for a decent meal. It had gotten easier with age; Kristoff had become a giant of a man and even Anna's lithe figure had gained a little muscle until they were able to work competitively alongside the others out there on the frozen terrain.

That was all well and dandy, but their efforts barely paid off. The duo was lucky if they sold a block a day to the stray passerby, even in the summer. But Anna was fiercely determined that today would be different. There were hundreds of people in town today, surely some of them would need ice to keep cool. She was sure of it, and that's why she had pulled the sled up to the edge of the castle gates, or has she had told Kristoff, 'the ultimate spot for maximum sales'. With everyone heading to the castle for the Princess' coronation, they had to pass by the ice harvesters, and hopefully they'd buy something along the way.

Some time passed like this; Anna jumping around and pitching slogans at nearly everyone that entered the gates, and Kristoff sitting atop the sled chewing thoughtfully on a piece of straw, and person after person hurrying past the crazed girl with the red hair. Kristoff sighed as time went on, choosing to recline in the seat and wait for the day to end so they could go and scrounge around the local inns for some food. Just as he was about to doze off, however, he was startled awake by a loud thud in the seat next to him.

"Giving up so soon?" he asked and smirked when all he got was an irritated huff in response.

"I don't know what else to do!" Anna all but shouted into his ear, "I've tried everything, but everyone is sooo focused on the coronation that they hardly even give me a second glance." She slumped further down in her spot and frowned, "We're haven't sold a thing all day, and why? Because people can't wait to get to some stupid party?"

Kristoff scoffed, "This isn't just some party, Anna. It's the Queen's coronation!"

"Oh great, you're one of them."

"No, seriously, this is the biggest celebration Arendelle has seen in what, the past twenty years?" the man was getting animated now, "Royals from all around have come for this, it's not just your average ball or whatever. I mean sure, there'll be dancing and fun, and the food, oh good gods can you just imagine the food they'll be having?" Anna's head popped up at that, "Oh yeah, what kinds?"

"Everything!" her friend chuckled, "I'd bet there's a buffet with everything from lutefisk to ribbe. What I would give to get my hands on some of that." He sighed and looked longingly toward the gate not far away. Unbeknownst to him, Anna was more focused than she'd ever been in her life, the gears in her head whirring with such ferocity that you could practically see the smoke coming out of her head.

"Well then why don't you just go?" Kristoff looked at her as if she'd miraculously grown a second head.

"Are you crazy?" he asked? She feigned offence with a hand over her heart, "Why would you ever think that?"

"Only royalty can go in there," he all but whined, "And the last time I checked, the closest one to royalty here is Sven," the reindeer in question poked his head out from behind the sleigh at the mention of his name.

"Oh come on, there are dozens of townspeople going in there!"

"They're only going into the gardens, you have to be invited into the castle, and we…" Kristoff gestured between him and Anna, "Were not invited. The only people that get to go in are people like lords or dukes, people that actually matter."

Anna placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a weak smile. "We do matter, Kristoff, just as much as any of those people in the castle, and tonight I think we deserve to be treated as such." The ice harvester glimpsed up at his partner and audibly groaned at the mischievous look in her eyes.

He knew that look well, it was the same look she had when she'd suggested that it'd be easier to harvest ice from underneath the freezing water, or the time that she'd convinced him that it was safe to sleep in some trader's barn for the night only to have them both tossed out in the snow under the accusation of 'trespassing'. That same look was in her now, and he was scared. She either didn't notice how pale he'd become, or how profusely he was sweating as he awaited her next words, or she just outright ignored it, because with an arm around his shoulders she smiled widely and said, "Tonight, my friend, we eat like kings."

_To Be Continued_


	2. The Easy Part

AN: Wow, okay so this turned out taking longer than I'd thought. I planned to be further along with this by now, but I kept writing and writing until I realized I was almost at 2,000 words and I'd been sitting so long that I had no feeling in my lower body. Well anyway here's Chapter 2, I hope you all like it! Happy reading, my little snowflakes.

Oh yeah, and I don't own Frozen. Unfortunately.

* * *

"Anna, we look ridiculous."

"What? Are you kidding, we look perfect!" Kristoff looked doubtingly toward the mirror they were standing in front of. They were currently hiding in one of the castle's many washrooms. Turns out, scaling a castle wall was nothing compared to the mountains they faced practically all the time. The duo had made it into the castle unnoticed in a matter of minutes and ducked into the first unlocked room they could find. That was the easy part. Finding a good disguise, on the other hand, was a different situation.

It scared Kristoff how easily Anna had slipped out of the washroom and returned in less than a half an hour with the clothes that were their meal-ticket. It sparked a series of questions to erupt inside his head, 'Had she done this before?' or 'Did she murder the people who'd worn these just moments ago?', all of which went unanswered when Anna shoved a bundled up suit in his direction. They honestly didn't look half bad; (Anna had so nicely 'procured' a set of dress clothes from a pair of too-eager partygoers; apparently nobody was guarding the punch) that, with some squeezing on Kristoff's part, seemed to fit the two rather well.

The mountaineer was stuffed into a suit of a deep forest green wool and white trimming (Anna had laughed for a solid ten minutes because she said he looked like a Christmas tree) , nothing too rich or flashy, just a bit more on the dressy side than everyday attire. Anna on the other hand was a lot luckier when it came to her outfit, seeing as she was of average size. Her dress was the same color as Kristoff's suit, with the exception of the white trim being replaced by gold. It wasn't very revealing, coming down her chest far enough to show off some of the freckled skin on her chest and sleeves stopping just before her elbows, but it fit like a glove and she definitely pulled it off.

"So, how do I look?" She asked and struck a pose, "Am I the picture of sophisticated grace or what?" Kristoff just laughed as she lost her balance and stumbled forward, quickly stopping her from falling face first onto the floor. She jumped back aloof and began muttering to herself about something akin to 'I meant to do that'. Her friend rolled his eyes and peered into the mirror once again, straightening his lapels before glancing up at the mop of yellow hair on his own head.

"Anna," he hesitated, "What are we going to do about, y'know, our hair?"

"What do you mean?" said girl didn't even look up from whatever she was looking at to answer him, "It's fine the way it is."

"Mmhmm," plucking a stray piece of straw from a ginger braid, Kristoff wheeled Anna around so that she could look into the reflecting glass as well, "If only looking like we just rolled around in a barn was considered 'fine'." She cringed at the disheveled braids hanging over her shoulders, gingerly taking one into her hand and playing with it.

"Well, what do you suggest we do?" she asked, looking up at the man, and watched on with disgust as he effortlessly spit into his hands before running them through his tawny strands. To her surprise, after a couple of minutes Kristoff actually looked presentable, his usually shaggy mane pushed back and away from his face. Now it was her turn. She looked again at her reflection. She'd never really done anything different with her hair other than her typical braids, and she was at a loss.

"Maybe I could help," Kristoff began but was interrupted by the girl's frantic cry.

"I am NOT letting you spit in my hair!"

"I wasn't going to!" he looked away frustrated, "Just, let me give it a try. You might be pleasantly surprised." Anna crossed her arms as if weighing her options.

She finally gave up and threw her arms in the air, "Fine, have at it!"

Some time and a few curses at tugged hair later, Kristoff stood back from the girl to admire his handiwork, "Gotta say, Red, you actually look like a human being now." Slugging him in the shoulder, Anna turned anxiously to see her reflection and gasped because, well, her hair actually looked- pretty.

When it was rid of debris and the occasional tangle, Anna's hair was much more manageable, allowing the bulking ice man to gather it up in a high bun on the back of her head. How he had done it was beyond her, but Anna could barely contain the excitement within her as she bounded for the door.

"Hey," Kristoff laughed, following her out into the deserted halls. He grabbed her shoulder in an attempt to slow his feisty friend down enough so as to not attract attention to themselves should anyone pass by, "Is that anyway for a princess to act?"

She smiled sheepishly and began walking at a somewhat slower speed than before. "Sorry," she muttered, but quickly became animated once again, "I'm just so excited, Kris! I mean, we're in the CASTLE. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for us to enjoy the rich life!" A loud rumbling growl came from her stomach, reminding her why they were here in the first place, "And every second we waste standing here is a second we could be eating our hearts out, so c'mon!" Before he could protest, Anna had latched onto his elbow and was dragging him down the hall in search of the ballroom, which they eventually (after twelve wrong turns and eight backtracks later).

The entrance into the ballroom was just down the hall from them now, and all the nerve and anticipation Anna had once held had drained from her body and was replaced by dread and anxiety. She was crazy, they couldn't pull this off. She was quite literally raised in a barn, how could she pass as a noble of any sorts? Sensing his friends dread, Kristoff offered her a grin before striding toward the giant doors. Anna stayed frozen in her spot, unable to move forward as she mentally pictured every single worst case scenario that could occur if she passed through those doors.

"Kristoff, maybe this was a bad idea," she admitted. Kristoff only gave her a confused glance from afar.

"But this was your idea-"

"Yes, I know, but," she found a particularly interesting spot on the carpet and focused all of her attention on it, "Ijustdon'twannamakeafooloutofmyself."

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

Steeling herself, she looked straight into Kristoff's eyes and repeated herself, "I just don't want to make a fool out of myself."

"Oh, Anna," Kristoff made his way back over to her and enveloped her in a big hug, "You can't possibly embarrass yourself any more than you already have." She punched him lightly on the chest.

"I'm serious Kristoff. These people, they aren't just townsfolk in the street. They expect people to act a certain way, talk a certain way, I don't know how to do any of that."

"Then just act the Anna-way and they'll have to like you no matter what." He let go of her and headed to the door once again pausing briefly with his hand on the brass knob. He could hear the laughter and music from behind the thick oaken doors, and understood Anna's anxiousness, but he also knew that if they were to go unnoticed by the rest of the party, then they were going to have to act like none of this was foreign to them. Twisting the handle ever so slightly he called over his shoulder, "C'mon feisty pants, just be yourself."

* * *

Kristoff was really regretting giving Anna such awful advice. The bubbly red head had waltzed right into the midst of the party, excitedly greeting anyone who crossed her path, all of her worries obviously gone. _So much for laying low,_ he thought.

Anna on the other hand was completely overjoyed. There was music and lights, and everyone was happy, by the time she'd actually reached the tables full of food she was no longer hungry. There was far too much going on around her to be concerned with something like food, and she had to take a minute just to absorb it all.

"See," Kristoff said through a mouthful of food, "I told you you'd be fine."

"Oh, Kristoff," she gushed, "Everything's perfect! Look at the dancing, and the cake, even the curtains are exquisite!" as if to prove her point she grabbed the nearest draperies and wound herself up in them. The blonde man just rolled at his friends and let her continue on rambling away at every little thing she could see. "And look at all the chocolate! And the music is so lively, and the food- well I haven't tried any yet, but it looks delicious! It's just all so- everything is-"

She was silenced by a sharp trumpet call ringing throughout the room, followed by a rather rotund man stepping up to the front of the room and clearing his throat. The trumpets died off, allowing the man to speak in a bellowing baritone that commanded the attention of all the people in the room; all except one particular girl tangled in the curtains whose attention was fixated on something- or rather someone- off to the man's right.

She didn't hear him go on about Arendelle's proud history, she didn't hear him thank all of the visiting royalty for attending that days coronation, all she could hear was her own heart racing in the strangest of ways as the figure she was so transfixed on made its way to stand by the speaker.

"And without further ado," the plump man's voice finally broke into her ears, startling her out of her daze, "It is my great pleasure to introduce our beloved ruler, Queen Elsa of Arendelle!"

The figure, the woman, the _Queen_ next to the man offered a shy smile and a graceful wave to the crowd as they applauded. Anna subconsciously wondered how anybody could even find it within themselves to move in this woman's presence. Her skin was absolutely flawless, giving off an ethereal glow that even from a distance Anna could see plain as day; hair such a fair blonde that it could pass as white was pulled back into a braided bun, the glimmering headpiece she wore as a crown tucked neatly into it, and those eyes. Good gods those eyes, were such a crystalline blue that Anna could practically dive right into them and-

"Anna… ANNA!"

She jumped and turned to Kristoff, cheeks redder than the fabric she was entangled in. He looked at her expectantly as she fumbled around trying to form a coherent sentence. Realizing that wasn't going to happen, she settled on an inquisitive, "Hmm?"

"I asked," he paused to make sure she was in fact still listening to him, "What were you saying about the party?"

"O-oh right," she stuttered, "The party." Her eyes drifted around her surroundings before quickly settling on the Queen amidst a crowd of visiting dignitaries, "Everything is absolutely… gorgeous."

Curious as to what had his childhood friend's head all in a tizzy, Kristoff followed her line of sight. It took him a moment, there were an awful lot of people crowded around her, but eventually the mountain man saw what captured his best friend attention so, and if he was being honest with himself, he wasn't sure whether or not she was referring to the ball anymore.

* * *

_To Be Continued _


	3. Clutz

Alright, here's Chapter 3. Happy reading!

* * *

Kristoff sank into a cushioned chair with a heavy sigh as the night air hit his face. They'd been there for over two hours now, with the party still in full swing, and Kristoff slowly felt himself relaxing into the atmosphere and genuinely enjoying himself. Almost. It'd be a lot easier to let loose if he wasn't constantly worried about having to close Anna's open mouth every time she stole a glimpse of the Queen… or having to apologize for Anna bumping into people whenever she was distracted by the Queen… or anytime he had to hurry and quickly wipe up some of Anna's drool from the floor so nobody would slip and fall all because Anna had been, yet again, distracted by the Queen.

He loved Anna, honestly, she was like a sister to him, but this was getting out of hand. This is why he'd ended up dragging the girl out into an adjacent garden where a few other guests were scattered about on the provided furniture; so he could just get her to focus for more than two seconds on something other than Her Majesty the Queen.

"Kristoff, what are we doing out here? The party is _inside _the castle, remember?" He could hear the poorly-masked aggravation in Anna's voice when she spoke, and even with his eyes shut he could practically see the scowl she was giving him. Sneaking a peek from between his eyelashes proved him right about the scowl; Anna was standing not that far away from him, arms crossed in front of her chest, trying to maintain a menacing glower while casting fervent glances at the ballroom doors.

"Calm down will, you?" He yawned as he stretched, unaffected by his friend's evil eye, "It's not like she's gonna disappear in the three minutes we've been out here." The red hue on Anna's cheeks spread like wildfire across her body.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said with a strangely aloof demeanor, eyes everywhere but on Kristoff. Anna was bad at a lot of things, but one of her absolute worst abilities was lying. Her partner could read her like a book; the way she'd tuck invisible strands of hair behind her ear, or the awkward shuffle of her feet that was sure to leave a mark on even the hardest of surface, and avoiding eye contact like she was then were just a few of her tells, (she hated card night at the pub). When she finally forced herself to meet his disbelieving stare she couldn't hold it together anymore. She gave an exasperated huff and plopped herself down next to him, slumping forward to rest her elbows on her knees, "We can sit outside for five minutes. That's it. Understand?"

Kristoff brought a hand up to his chin pretending to consider her demands, he let out a strangled cry as she poked him hard in the ribs, "GAH! Jeez, you're feeling awfully violent tonight, aren't you?"

"I mean it Kristoff!" she put on her best serious face that more closely resembled a constipated reindeer, (it's an ugly sight).

"Why?" he asked simply, "What's in there that's so important?"

"Well t-the buffet is in there for one, isn't that the whole reason we came here?"

The man gently pushed Anna's face to the right, letting her eyes roam over a series of smaller tables dotting the area piled high with an assortment of foods and drinks, "There's food out here, too, Anna. And far less people to be suspicious about us. Everything we had inside is out here, too." He pretended not to notice the way Anna's face fell, and he could practically hear her thinking, _everything except the Queen._

It hurt him to do this to his best friend, really, it did, but it was for her own good. The look in her eyes wasn't foreign to him, he wasn't so dense as to not recognize the typical effects the common crush has on the body; flushed cheeks, a goofy grin, a dreamy expression that just won't go away, he knew what Anna was feeling, even if she wouldn't admit it, and he pitied her. '_It's the QUEEN!' _he screamed internally,_ 'She couldn't have at least noticed one of the servant girls?'_ He was doing this, whatever he was doing, (distancing them?) for her. Nothing good would come out of Anna falling for the Queen of Arendelle, especially when there was absolutely zero chance of anything ever occurring between them.

A few awkward minutes of silence transpired between the two as Anna tried to come up with some reason, anything really, that would convince Kristoff to go back inside with her. She couldn't explain why she had to be in there, except for this overwhelming desire to just be able to see that platinum hair amidst the crowd, to catch a glimpse of that piercing blue gaze. She must seem like a fool. _Of course you're a fool, who else but a fool would stare at her Queen like she was something actually attainable?_

Unable to bear the silence anymore, Kristoff cleared his throat, playing with his hands awkwardly when he saw the crestfallen demeanor of the girl next to him. "Hey, Anna," said girl turned to face him with a hopeful smile, and he almost gave in right then and there, willing to send her inside to continue her 'observing', but instead he chuckled awkwardly, "Would you, mind getting us some punch? I'm- I'm parched."

She nodded, her grin falling into some halfhearted upward-twist of the lips, standing silently and swiftly making her way to the nearest table. Once she was far enough away, Kristoff buried his face in his hands. This was a horrible idea in the first place. They didn't belong here. They were like fish out of water, ice on the beach, and looking up at Anna he only felt worse about the fact that he'd let her talk him into this.

* * *

Anna took the ladle from the punch bowl that contained what she hoped was something stronger than plain old juice. _Stupid Kristoff… _She set to work filling a glass with the red liquid, reaching back into the bowl for more without hesitation. She didn't understand what was so great about being outside anyway. They were outside every day of their lives, even at night when they should be tucked into a bed, but when were they ever able to be in a _castle_? A castle full of riches and fun and… y'know… royalty. Normally on an evening like this they'd be searching for a suitable spot to park the sleigh and curl up on its hard wooden bench for another restless night, most likely skipping dinner and breakfast the next day. But not tonight. Tonight was the one night where she didn't have to worry about having to scrounge enough of their savings together to procure a hot meal, and her big lunk of a best friend wanted to keep her away from the life of the party.

In her daze she'd barely noticed the fact that she'd continue to ladle scoop after scoop of punch into the same cup, just as the presence of a second person by her side went unregistered until she heard a polite clearing of a throat from her right.

Her eyes flicked down to the puddle of punch running down the white cloth covering the table, grimacing at the realization of how big a stain was going to be left on the previously unblemished surface.

"Having fun there?" a quiet voice asked, but Anna didn't look up. She was far too busy glimpsing around frantically in search of something to clean this mess. There was nothing; no napkins, moist cloths, nothing, and the puddle was spreading further across the table.

"Oh gods help me!" Anna whimpered. She grabbed the skirt of her dress, planning to use that in a last ditch effort to mop up the mess when a gloved hand shot out and landed on hers, stopping her actions altogether.

"That won't be necessary," the person said, a melodic chuckle ringing next to Anna's ear.

"B-but it'll stain, and people will get angry, and tell the Queen- the Queen! What if there's a law against spilling things? What if I'm charged with treason? What if…" all words died off her tongue when she finally turned and found herself staring right into those same blue eyes that had entranced her for the majority of the night.

There, standing in front of her, like _right_ in front of Anna was Queen Elsa. _Gods, she's even more breathtaking up close. _The Queen raised her free hand to try and suppress the giggle that wanted to escape when she saw the color drain from the poor girl's face, "Something tells me that there aren't any laws against overfilling a glass," she gave the girl's hand a reassuring squeeze, "At least not in this kingdom, anyway."

Anna nearly squeaked when she felt the added pressure on her hand, but dared not take it away. She couldn't move, and she didn't want to, she would have been fine with never moving again as long as it meant that hand stayed where it was. Her eyes roamed all over the Queen's face, from her eyes to the light dusting of freckles that you could probably only see from such a close proximity, to her lips, so soft looking, the way they moved so fluidly… oh she was talking. To her. Anna. Who wasn't listening.

"W-what?" she asked.

"I asked if you did this often?" the Queen repeated with a smile, oblivious to the embarrassment of the redhead.

"Y-you mean spill things?" of course she was stammering like an idiot, _good job mouth_, "W-well I suppose not. I mean there was that one time when I spilled water all over Kristoff's feet and he froze to the floor… and that time that we were waxing his sled and I slipped and…" all at once she remembered that she was in fact in the presence of royalty. Embarrassed, the girl shut her mouth and stepped forward as if to curtsy, except she didn't get that far. Her outstretched heel touched down on the slippery grass and was up in the air within a second as she felt herself lose her footing. What happened next was a blur. Time seemed to stop; the embarrassment she felt before was nothing compared to what she was going to feel when her rump landed in the ground at the Queen's feet, so she closed her eyes, awaiting the pain and shame that was to come.

But it never did. She waited with baited breath until she couldn't bear it anymore and opened her eyes one after the other. Looking around led her to realize that she was mere inches from the ground, her body being supported by an oddly angled Queen, one hand on the small of her back and the other still grasping one of Anna's in an attempt to steady the younger girl.

"I'm so sorry Your Highness," she gushed and jumped to her feet, only to stumble face first into the other girl's chest, knocking them both back a few steps before the blonde managed to keep them both upright.

"How much of that punch have you already had?" the sovereign asked with a smirk that she couldn't keep off her face even though she was probably just as flustered as the girl in her arms.

"None! None, I swear," Anna separated herself from the blonde hurriedly, missing the feel of the other's body so close to hers, "Gods, this is so awkward. Not that you're awkward, but just because we're- I'm awkward. You're gorgeous. Wait, what?"

The Queen laughed, actually laughed, not a giggle hidden by a gloved hand, but a full mirthful laugh, and it lit something within Anna stronger than anything she'd ever felt before. A similar feeling spread throughout the Queen; a peculiar warmth that seemed to spread to every part of her body, because of this person, this clutz of a girl before her.

"What's your name?" she asked, and this time the other girl was already listening intently.

"Anna," said, her voice barely above a whisper, "My name is Anna."

"Anna," the Queen said, smiling slightly at the ease with which name rolled off her tongue, she straightened and offered a hand to the girl, "Would you care to dance?"

* * *

_To Be Continued_

The next chapter has a lot more interaction between our two favorite girls, I'm just sayin'. I also want to apologize for any and all errors, for they are entirely mine. Oh, and one more thing, I want to thank everyone who's favorited or followed or reviewed this story, since all of those make me feel warm and fuzzy. Okay, I'm done now. :)


	4. Would You Care To Dance?

Here we are, a nice big helping of Awkward Anna with a side of totally Enamored Elsa. Enjoy and happy reading!

* * *

"E-excuse me?" this couldn't be happening, but when Anna spoke and the Queen's eyes seemed to twinkle just a tad brighter, the younger girl really didn't care if it was a dream or reality.

"Would you care to dance?" Elsa repeated and stepped a little closer, tentatively reaching out to and brushing her fingers against Anna's. Even through the gloves, the Queen could feel the warmth of the other girl's hand. It was surprisingly pleasant.

"Oh," Anna muttered, "Oh! I- I would love to! But…"

The older woman's face fell slightly, suddenly realizing how forward she was being. "I apologize. It was rude of me to…" she retracted her hand back to her side.

"NO!" the younger girl cut her off before she could say more, "I mean, I'd love to, really, I just don't know how to dance." The Queen looked relieved to hear that, and offered the redhead a small smile.

"Oh, wonderful. Just," she held out her hand which Anna accepted without delay, "Follow my lead."

Elsa led them back toward the open doors, through the crowd and to the center of the floor with perfect poise and grace, Anna trailing her like, well like a disoriented ice harvester who snuck into a castle and was asked to dance by the queen. The sea of people around them parted, and everyone pushed and prodded each other, eager to see what kind of person actually got the newly crowned Queen onto the dance floor. Imagine their surprise when they saw a pretty young waif whose rapidly coloring face was almost as red as her hair. Next to the Queen, Anna felt homely, ordinary; there was nothing fascinating about her. She could feel the eyes on them; she could hear the murmurs from the crowd.

_This is wrong, very wrong; the Queen should be dancing with a prince or a lord or something… But she chose me, she sought me out… I'm a peasant; I'm not even supposed to be here. _Anna's thoughts became so loud in her head that she couldn't help but respond out loud, "And yet I am."

"What was that?" the older woman asked politely as the current song came to an end, the band rummaging around in their vast stack of music for their next piece. She looked straight into the flustered girl's eyes, holding her stare, and when the music started up again, a moderate waltz, not too fast or too slow; Elsa placed a hand on the small of the girl's back and raised their already conjoined ones in the air. Anna didn't trust her voice not to come out at least three octaves higher, so she trusted that a hasty shake of the head would suffice.

They began to move about the floor in simple yet elegant movements, (Anna silently prayed that she wouldn't step on the other girl's feet), a series of spins and the dip that caught Anna off guard as she arched toward the ground just to be snapped back into the Queen's arms gave the simple dance they were doing a graceful air. The whole world could have very well ended right then and Anna would have had no regrets.

Neither girl noticed any of their surroundings until the elder of the two spun the other around, finally separating their gazes and Anna finally realized that no one else had resumed their dancing. No, everyone was too engrossed in their own stolen glimpses at the couple and hushed whispers to even think about partnering up themselves. Their gazes burned her skin; some judgmental, others simply curious, and all of them directed toward her.

Anna wasn't paying attention when the Queen tried to spin her back around; she felt a tug followed by her stumbling a bit before finally turning and bumping noses with a smirking monarch.

"Tell me, are you always so coordinated?"

"I'm sorry," Anna whispered, taking extra care to make sure her feet were nowhere near the Queen's, "It's just, everyone's looking." Elsa finally looked around the room and realized that every pair of eyes was indeed trained on the two of them. She subconsciously pulled Anna closer to her as the song's tempo slowed ever so slightly.

"Let them look," she brought a freckled hand to her lips and left the faintest of kisses against the younger girl's knuckles, "You're beautiful."

"You're beautifuller," Anna replied, immediately regretting her words, "Not fuller, not that you're a twig! Just- just more beautiful." The giggle that escaped those red painted lips silenced her.

"Thank you," Elsa managed to say, her voice much calmer than she actually was. She couldn't help but just admire the beauty of the girl before her, yet she knew there were prying eyes around. Anna glimpsed down at their hands, fingers interlaced, before locking eyes with the queen. The sovereign suddenly seemed shy, almost timid when she leaned a little closer and whispered, "Can I show you something?" Anna barely had time to nod before the Queen turned and made her way back to the passageways leading outdoors.

For the second time that night, Anna found herself following the Queen around like a lost puppy, except this time instead of leading her into a larger crowd, Elsa led her through the open courtyard and over to a secluded little niche that took the redhead's breath away. Partially hidden by some sort of tree that Anna couldn't name and tucked into a corner by the massive walls protecting the castle from the outside world was a quaint little fountain surrounded on all sides by hedges in full bloom, flowers blossoming in all colors. The water trickled from a jar held by a stone child in the center of the structure, the whole thing spotted with moss, the water littered with white blooms that must've fallen from the branches overhead. Anna was stunned that such a place existed in the castle grounds; the whole area always seemed so kept up and orderly, but this little corner seemed timeless, as if humans hadn't stepped foot in it for years.

"This was my favorite place to come and sit growing up," Elsa took a seat on the edge of the fountain staring into the shallow water.

"Oh, like to read, and stuff?"

"Yes," Elsa grinned as if remembering a long forgotten event, "Or to hide from my tutor when I fro…" she stopped mid sentence, as if trying to figure out what to say next, "When I poured salt in his tea."

"You did what?" Anna asked incredulously, unable to picture the epitome of perfection in front of her committing anything worse than waking up late, and even that took a lot of imagination, "The Queen of Arendelle, a practical jokester? I'm not buying it."

"I wasn't always a Queen, you know," the sigh she let out mad Anna regret she'd said something so impersonal.

"No, of course, I meant that in the best way possible, Your Majesty."

"Please," the Queen interrupted with a stifled giggle, "Call me Elsa."

Anna's ever present grin seemed to brighten even more as she sat next to the Queen, "Alright then, Elsa."

* * *

Kristoff jolted awake, nearly falling off the bench he'd accidentally fallen asleep on. He glanced up at the sky; the moon had risen significantly, suggesting that approximately three hours had passed since he'd sent Anna off in search of drinks.

"Jeez, Anna, why didn't you wake me up or anything?" he cracked his neck, expecting an answer and receiving none. He looked down to the empty spot on the bench next to him, frowning at the cold stone before heaving himself to his feet to go in search of his friend.

* * *

"Oh! And then there was the time that Sven ate Kristoff's half of the carrot, and he just shoved his hand right down his throat," Anna shot her arm through the air, reenacting the event as she spoke, "And yanked the rest of it right out of his mouth!"

"Oh my," Elsa, thoroughly enamored by Anna's tale, chuckled at the girl's antics, "Please don't tell me he actually ate it?"

"He did!" Anna was grinning from ear to ear, pleased that she wasn't boring the Queen with her stories, "The whole thing, slobber and all!"

The blonde shivered at the thought but laughed at the disgusted face Anna was making, "That's disgusting! Your country sounds fascinating. Where did you say you were from?"

"Uh, you know, the name is kind of escaping me right now…"

"You cannot recall the name of your own kingdom?"

"N-no!" the younger of the two felt her cheeks reddening under the other's questioning gaze, "I mean yes, of course I can, but I seem to be forgetting a lot of things tonight." _Like the fact I'm not of royal blood._ Anna frowned at her own thoughts and muttered to herself, "Increasingly so."

Elsa just gave her a timid grin. She was completely at ease with this girl, a surprise to her more than anyone else. She wasn't a people person; the only actual contact she'd had with other people were the servants around the castle, but no matter how polite she was to them, they'd only ever see her as an extremely benevolent ruler, never as an equal… a friend. But here was this girl, this beautiful girl who didn't treat her as a Princess or Queen, but as a person.

"Anna," Elsa couldn't quite explain the tremor in her voice, or the her chest swelled whenever she looked at her with those eyes that shimmered as if they were home to a thousand bright stars, but in the short time she'd spent with this girl, she'd been happier than she could ever remember, "Might I speak freely with you?" The girl in question smiled and nodded, more than happy to hear the soft voice of the Queen.

"I've… I've never been so comfortable around another person like I am with you," Elsa chuckled at the admission, "And to tell the truth, it's relieving. I feel as if I can be myself when I'm with you."

"When I'm with you I feel like I'm going to do something stupid and embarrass myself," Anna blurted, "Like that. Gah! You're just so… different from the people I see every day. Which is a good thing! Different is very good, especially with you… and…"

"Anna…"

"Kinda like I was regretting coming here tonight, but when that little man introduced you I couldn't keep my eyes off of you- oh gods that sounded creepier than I thought…"

"Anna…"

"I promise that I wasn't stalking you or anything… Gods I'm making a total fool out of myself…"

"Anna!" Elsa reached up to cup the blabbering girl's jaw, "I think it's… cute… when you ramble like that." Their faces were slowly but surely getting closer, whether the two of them realized it or not went unknown until the hand on Anna's chin slipped down to her neck, sending almost violent shivers down the younger girl's spine.

"Anna," Elsa's voice was low and scratchy, almost like she was forcing herself to speak, "I'm- I'm going to kiss you now, is that alright with you?"

Anna's heart felt like it was trying to rip its way out of her chest the way it was pounding, and that tiny voice of reason that sounded oddly like Kristoff was screaming in her head that this was a horrible idea, but when she felt the tickle of Elsa's breath against her lips, she couldn't stop herself from closing the distance between them.

Elsa's lips were softer than anything Anna had ever felt. They had a faint taste of chocolate, but a hundred times sweeter, and as they shifted against her own, Anna tried in vain to suppress the moan that was elicited. The high she was feeling was unlike anything she'd ever experienced; better than selling her entire stock of ice, better than pulling a prank on Kristoff, better than breaking into a coronation party and getting free food. She brushed her fingers over the Queen's dress, leaning forward, needing more and more, and still Kristoff's voice was in her head, calling out her name. Repeatedly. Louder and louder until it was like he was practically right behind her.

"Anna?!" Kristoff's voice (broken and totally unbefitting for a man of his size) snapped Anna's eyes wide open. She turned, horrified to see her friend standing there, eyes bulging and jaw dropped as he took in the sight of his best friend kissing the Queen of Arendelle. Even though he found himself incapable of forming any sort of coherent thought at the moment, Anna could see everything he wanted to say in the sheer look of terror in his eyes.

Suddenly everything came crashing down around her, reality having finally caught up with her little wonderland at an alarming speed. She was kissing the Queen… _the Queen!_ She looked at Elsa who admittedly looked a little flustered at having been caught in such a position, but instead of seeing the wonderful girl she'd gotten to know over the past few hours, all she could see was what Kristoff was seeing; the Queen.

Anna jumped from the ledge they were sitting on, panic and alarm filling her being when she saw Elsa stand as well, a shocked kind of hurt displayed so clearly on that beautiful face… Kristoff yanked on her elbow, silently ordering (or was he begging?) her to follow him as he made a dash for the front of the castle, not waiting around to see if his friend would follow him or not. She turned and walked briskly across the cobblestone path to the main garden right at the head of the yard. There were a lot more people out front than in the back; a mix of people both rich and poor alike stood between Anna and the open gates.

"Anna," Elsa didn't even try to mask the concern in her voice as she called after the retreating girl, "Anna, what's the matter? Where are you going?"

"I am so, so sorry Els- you're Highness," taking one last look at the Queen Anna tried to commit her face to memory, "I… I have to go." Elsa didn't have a chance to say anything else before the redhead was swallowed by the mass of partygoers, all oblivious to the interaction between the two girls. The blonde dove into the sea of people, ignoring the questioning glances and inquiries thrown her way, anxious to catch a glimpse of that fiery hair anywhere among the mass of bodies.

"Anna, no, wait!" her cries were pointless; by the time she made it through the crowd and to the castle gates, Anna was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

_To Be Continued_

So, yeah. Sorry if Elsa seemed a bit too forward or weird at all. Trust me, I did it for a reason, you'll see ;)


	5. Just Give It A Chance

Okay, let me just start by saying I am soooo sorry for how late this is. Apparently nearly all my teachers thought that the first week back in class was an excellent time to have us take exams, so between studying and work, I've been super busy. I was going to try and make it up to you guys by making this chapter super long, but it didn't feel right continuing it any further than I did, so here is me swearing that the next chapter will be up by Wednesday at the absolute latest! I'm going to try and keep this updated around every other day or so, and if I ever fall behind I give you permission to slap me with a fish. Alright, I'm done with that. Also, though, I just want to say, HOLY CRAP you all are amazeballs. Seriously, over a hundred follows? I damn near cried! And all the comments and positive feedback, it makes me feel guilty that I'm not updating this every hour. You guys are the best :3** Happy Reading!**

* * *

**EIGHTEEN MONTHS LATER**

Dawn shone out from behind the peaks of the mountains of Arendelle, bright with the beginning of a new day but lacking the warmth that the sun usually gave off. It had snowed during the night, as it had every night for the past month, and it was barely November. The leaves on the trees had been replaced with beads of ice dangling from the barren branches, and when the light cascaded down from the heavens and onto the white ground below it was breathtakingly beautiful, especially so in the wee hours of the morning, out on the frozen lakes in the alps surrounding the fjord.

It wasn't, however, splendid to wake up cold and disoriented after a rough few hours of sleep in the frozen outdoors. A certain young woman with twin braids poking out of her cap was just beginning to awaken with the sky, the light poking her eyelids just enough to force them open after a few weary blinks. She grunted as she sat up and pushed the blanket she was wrapped in away from her body, adjusting to her surroundings after a few dazed minutes.

Anna's breath came out in small puffs in the cold morning air; she stretched, idly massaging the areas of her body that were sore from another restless night. The winter in Arendelle was relentless, even to those who were used to the cold. The ginger haired girl slid down from her spot on the sleigh and onto the ice, taking care not to slip as she made her way over to where Kristoff was already working at making a hole in the frozen water.

She watched him for a minute; the determination with which he forced his saw in and out of the water was almost enough to lift her spirits and make her forget all the days she'd gone hungry because they didn't have enough money for food. Almost. It was almost enough to make her ignore how her clothes that were once only slightly big on her frame now hung off of her like rags; the breeches she had to wear out on the ice were so loose that they had to be tied up so they didn't fall every other minute. It was almost enough to make her forget that every night, when they curled up under their coarse woolen blankets, the temperature was declining more and more.

Kristoff was thinking of something along the same lines. Being out on the frozen expanse was both calming and upsetting simultaneously. The duo hadn't made a sale in months; the entire kingdom's temperature was drastically lowered year round for the past year now. The highest temperature reached that summer had been only sixty degrees, nowhere near warm enough for a demand for ice. Slowly but surely the teams that made their way out to the ice sheets began to lessen, until it got to the point where the only blemishes on the white expanse were the two young adults and their reindeer.

If this cold weather kept up any longer, their business would go under… for good. Kristoff couldn't let that happen; Ice was his life, after all. It was all he knew except for Anna and Sven, and if he couldn't keep them all safe, he didn't know what he would do. He squeezed his eyes shut, throwing all his weight into a final thrust of the saw. He stood there, motionless, for a good moment and Anna knew that he'd finally given up. Already the cut he's made in the sheet was beginning to crackle as the freezing water pulled it back together, making the harvesters' work disappear.

"Kristoff," Anna tapped her friend on his shoulder, shaking him rather forcefully when her gentle approach had no effect, "Kristoff, hey!" He didn't reply. In fact, he continued ignoring her, bending down to yank the saw from the ice.

"C'mon, Anna, stop lollygagging and grab a saw," another grunt followed an angry thrust, "We need to make a sale today. If it kills us, we need to sell something." Anna couldn't help but agree with the literal side of his statement, but snorted at the irony of his words, averting her eyes when he glared her way. When she made no move to help him, Kristoff tried a more forceful approach, "I mean it Anna, you'd better get to work, or so help me…"

"So help you what?" the girl urged him to continue, "You'll send me to bed with no dinner? It's hard to punish someone with a normal occurrence, don't you think?"

Kristoff had the decency to look ashamed that he'd even thought to threaten Anna, and an uneasy silence fell between them both

"We could possibly, just a suggestion, nothing more, look into other lines of work," she suggested, backtracking as soon as she saw the hurt expression on his face, "At least until the spring comes and it warms up… hopefully."

"I don't know how to do anything else, Anna. Don't you see? All my life, all OUR lives, this," he gestured down to the frozen ground beneath them, "This is all I know how to do. I don't have any skills. I can't do anything!"

"Sure you can," the girl tried to reason, "A smart guy like you? I'm sure under all that muscle there's a genius waiting to be unleashed. But… we'll never know unless we try, right?"She waited for him to respond, but he didn't. He just stood with his head hung low and shoulders dropped; a broken form of her friend that she was ashamed to admit she didn't know how to fix. "Kris, we'll die if we keep this up. You know that. We haven't made a single sale in months, we're ridiculously low on funds, and we haven't slept in an actual bed in so long I don't remember what one even feels like!"

"Please," her voice was sat on the fence between pleading and ordering, "Just give it a chance. We can head down into town, see if there are any jobs around there, anything that will pay and give us a place to stay. Just until spring."

Kristoff opened his mouth as if to try and protest once again, but decided against it when he saw the determined gaze Anna was directing at him. He couldn't speak- he didn't know what words to even try and use to describe the odd sensation he was feeling- sort of helpless and a whole lot of stubborn… and a small bit ashamed that his stubbornness had led them both to the point they were at now: starving and homeless. Anna was right, she always- okay, most of the time- right, and he just had to face that this was another one of those times.

"It'll be okay," she whispered gripping his arm, "I promise." Anna could only hope that he believed her words more than she did.

* * *

Queen Elsa sat in her study, poring over the stacks upon stacks of paper atop the desk. Her hand was beginning to cramp up after signing decree after decree, law after law, but she didn't care. It was just another day of her life- or rather her existence. Yes, that's a more fitting term for what she was doing. Existing; going day to day, repeating the motions of signing, flipping, and signing again with a mechanic sort of repetition.

Her life had been filled with repetition since her coronation, but if she minded it at all, she didn't show it. Her face was almost always wore a blank expression, her eyes always void of any emotion. The servants around the castle would sometimes make a remark that their Queen was without human emotions, but they were just that: remarks. Because behind closed doors, very seldom, the Queen's mask would slip away, letting her emotions run free.

For instance, she often found herself staring into the flickering flames that her handmaids would light every evening as the sun sank in the sky, and in those moments when she was lost in the dancing embers she wasn't burdened or relied upon, she was simply free. The flames reminded her of the past; of a life filled with those passionate emotions that this force of nature conveyed; it reminded her of that night, when she had become what she was today. Yes, the fire was the same shade if red as… a certain someone… a certain someone who'd disappeared from the Queen's life nearly as quickly as she'd entered it. It was during these moments of reminiscing that, if one could witness it, they'd see everything the woman was feeling clearly displayed on her face. The hurt, the confusion, the regret… all visible to the naked eye for the split second that her guard fell. As soon as she realized where her mind was wandering, though, the mask was back and her features unreadable.

Now was one of those moments; a time where she was alone with her thoughts and could do nothing to direct which direction they flowed in. At first they were solely on Arendelle and its people, and on improving internal trade, but soon they drifted to just the citizens themselves. She often wondered about the conditions of her people; trying to think of little ways she could better their everyday lives. For the most part, Arendelle was quite well off. Trade was fluid, crime rate was low, and she'd yet to receive a death threat so that was a sign that she was doing well so far, but once in a while she'd imagine herself as a normal girl living in the town, doing normal things.

Sometimes she'd imagine that she were the daughter of a baker and would run the deliveries, but the cart would get stuck in the road. That particular daydream had led to the reconstruction of many of the cobblestoned pathways in the town, which the people were thankful for. On more than one occasion she'd found herself thinking about how much she'd love to have been born a confectioner's daughter, so she could have all the chocolate she could eat, (not that that was an issue, she was Queen after all), but she did soon thereafter strike up a deal with a neighboring kingdom to the south to have a monthly import of the sweet shipped to the townspeople.

Her most repetitive thoughts, however, were on what it would be like to be a normal young woman, to have the freedom to walk around the town and not everyone bow to her, to be able to speak to people her own age. She'd imagine going on what she'd heard been labeled as a 'date', having fun without having to worry about ruling a kingdom. Nothing to fret about at all as she felt the wind on her face and ran her fingers through soft crimson hair…

Her thoughts were (thankfully) interrupted by a succession of quick raps on the door. Clearing her head of her silly thoughts, she spoke in a perfectly rehearsed voice, "Enter."

A short, balding man entered the room, shutting the door and bowing in one fluid motion before making his way to the desk where the monarch was seated, "Good evening, Your Majesty."

"Good evening, Kai," Elsa smiled fondly at the older gentleman. He'd served her parents at the castle since before she was born, and offered her the same loyalty that he'd given them, "Please, have a seat. How can I help you?"

"Thank you, Queen Elsa," he sat in on of the two chairs across from the young Queen, "I have a request to ask of you."

"Of course," was her automatic reply, "Anything you need, I'll be sure to have it arranged."

"You're too kind, my Queen, but at least let me finish before you say such things," Elsa nodded to the man, signaling him to continue, "You are aware that Master Hardingswood and Chef Claussen are both… indisposed as of late, yes?"

How could she not be aware of it? News that the stablehand had chased a runaway colt into the castle's kitchen had been the best gossip the staff had their hands on for the better part of a year, and it was even better that the Chef and Master Hardingswood had sustained rather serious injuries after the animal became panicked in such close confinement, putting both men in the infirmary and leaving their positions to be filled by the rest of the household staff.

"Yes, I am aware. Has there been any improvement in either of their conditions?"

"No," Kai said, "I mean, yes, their health is returning, but with them both gone, things aren't getting done quite so quickly around here as they normally would be. It's hard to fill such important positions."

"What exactly are you saying, Kai?" she asked, a slight tremor in her voice.

"I'm saying that it would be advantageous to hire on a couple more hands to help around the castle, at least until Hardingswood and Claussen have fully recovered."

_More servants… More strangers…_ the Queen's breath hitched in her throat. _But there hasn't been a stranger inside the castle in over a year. Not since… _

"Can't Gerda just assign two of her lackeys to fill in for them?" the Queen offered hastily, "I heard that girl Astrid was a fabulous cook."

"Yes, Your Majesty, she is, but with her in the kitchen all day, her normal assignments are left to the others to be handled. And no one has quite the touch with the animals that Hardingswood did, they don't respond well to anyone that enters the stables. Everyone's plates are so full with juggling the chores that it's proving difficult to finish a day's work at all,"

"I'm just not so sure about this, Kai. What if the people hired turn out to be thieves or a threat of some kind..." Elsa tried to keep the frost from spreading further about the room as every worst case scenario ran through her head; (so she had some trust issues, so what?)

"Your Majesty, I assure you that I would personally handpick those that would be joining the staff. You'd have nothing to worry about." The balding man held his breath, looking anxiously up at his Queen. He could see the mixed emotions in her face; the mask slipping ever so slightly to show her discomfort of the whole situation. She was at a crossroad, stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Yes, she could just deny the man, and continue on with her life as she had been: reclusive and distant. That would be the easiest thing to do. But he was right about one aspect, and that was the fact that if she kept this one-woman-act up for much longer, her people surely wouldn't look on her with respect. They'd see her as a snob; a blue blood not worthy of their respect, and as much as she pretended not to need anyone else, the support of her kingdom was something she deeply desired. She was, after all, stuck with this job for life whether she liked it or not. Besides, it wasn't as if she would really have to interact with the newcomers. She'd keep her original staff close at hand, and let the new members follow the commands of the higher-ups. It couldn't be that bad to have a few more helping hands around the castle… she hoped.

"Very well," she agreed, forcing down the sense of worry (as well as a thin layer of frost that was creeping its way up her quill), "Do what you must, Kai. I expect all of this to be settled in a week's time."

"Yes, your Highness," the butler hid his relieved grin as he bowed and turned, making his way out of the study; a weight lifting off of his shoulders and settling heavily upon the Queen's, "You have my word."

* * *

_To Be Continued_


	6. The Perfect Fit

Oh good gods is this late; ok here we go! Happy Reading.

* * *

Kai grimaced as he pulled his cloak tighter around him, fighting to keep out as much cold as possible. Snow was beginning to fall around him, light and sparse, yet covering the cobblestoned square in a thin layer of white powder. Parents ushered their children inside, vendors began to close their stalls, and Kai just stood there, shivering and frustrated.

He'd been out in the cold like this for the past four days, observing the townspeople up close; watching to see which of them were honest and kind, not just looking for an in to the castle. Word that the Queen had ordered two new servants be hired had spread quickly throughout the town, and that made it a tad more difficult for Kai to do his job. The candidates he chose had to be perfect considering that the Queen was so uncomfortable with the thought of strangers in the castle. He had to be certain that whoever he chose would blend right in with the current staff, and not cause any disruptions in the flow of things.

He'd sat in pubs and witnessed the bar maidens scamper around tending to their patrons. They were quick; effective. Yet they were loud, crass, and quite frankly more masculine than half the men in the dimly lit room. He'd meandered through the bazaar and observed the different vendors. They were quick at setting and cleaning up their stalls, but they were tricky, (Kai had even witnessed one young lad in particular woo a girl into trading the ring off her finger for some meaningless trinket. It seemed that everyone in this town had a flaw of some sort in the eyes of the stout little man.

He scanned his surroundings and sighed at the scarce amount of people out and about. The weather was particularly harsh today, forcing a majority of the town indoors where it was slightly warmer. He sighed, ready to call it quits for the day and head back to the castle for a nice cup of tea by the fireside, when he stopped at the faint but growing sound of sleigh bells from somewhere of in the distance.

Coming toward the town at an alarming speed was a reindeer pulling a sleigh, a strange sight to see in any season. The speeding vehicle came to a stop a good piece away from him, but Kai could see that two figures sat atop the bench, both covered in heavy furs and caps, ice and snow clinging to the fabrics like a second skin. They were peculiar; two lads, one with shaggy hair a brighter yellow than the sun, and the other with long braids of fiery crimson that stood out against the snowy backdrop. One was large, the other small; one seemed serious, handling the reins, and the other seemed more relaxed, boots propped up on the wood in front of them. No one in the whole town seemed to give them a second look, however, except for Kai, who watched them with a childlike curiosity.

"C'mon Kristoff," the redheaded lad, (was it even a boy?), called as he slid down from the seat of the sleigh, "It's freezing out here. The sooner we get a decent occupation, the sooner we get decent pay. And we both know that the sooner that happens, the sooner we get to eat! Or sleep, whichever seems better at the time." Kai watched from afar as the bigger man stepped down from the sleigh as well and, ignoring his companion's antics, began removing the harness from the lone reindeer at the head of the sled. The animal nuzzled into the man's shoulder affectionately, and he nuzzled it right back.

The butler was silently amazed. Arendelle reindeer weren't exactly known for their domesticated nature, yet here was one practically acting like a lapdog. The blonde reached into a canvas bag from the seat of the sleigh and withdrew a carrot from its depths, feeding it to the reindeer right out of his own hand after saying something that the butler couldn't quite hear above the roaring wind. The elder man made his way closer to the two youths as inconspicuously as possible.

"Anna," the boy by the reindeer turned to his hyperactive companion and Kai made a mental note that it was actually a young woman underneath those boyish clothes, "Calm down, will ya? W e have plenty of time to go job hunting…" the girl in question raised her brow in disbelief, "Ok, so we don't have a lot of time, but just give me a minute. Sven's tuckered out." His voice changed into a silly, exaggerated accent, and he put his face level with the reindeer's snout, "C'mon Anna, I'm tired.

Kai watched them, entertained by the interaction between the youths, and charmed by their genial airs. Perhaps it was his desire to be done with the search, or perhaps they were the chosen ones destined to be his pick, but whatever the case was he didn't put up a fight when he felt his feet pull him in the direction of the duo.

The girl, Anna, laughed a little before reaching into the same bag and taking a small nibble at a carrot of her own as Kristoff chomped away at his, "Alright, fine. But if we don't find a paying job by tonight, the inn fee is coming out of your carrot funds." Kristoff was about to argue with her, but before he could even swallow a plump little fellow sidled up to them and smiled.

"Pardon," the man said, "But I couldn't help but overhear you mention that you were looking for temporary employment." Kristoff gave the shorter man an once-over, as if trying to judge his character at first sight. He was plump, obviously well fed, and his clothes were much finer than the coarse woolen tunics he and Anna wore. He was obviously someone of importance.

"You heard right!" the bubbly redhead chimed in before her friend could even open his mouth, "My name's Anna, and this," she patted her companion on his broad back, "Is my partner in crime, Kristoff. Not that we actually commit crimes, it was just a phrase. We're actually quite innocent, we harvest ice for a living. I mean, we did until this weird cold front came in. Now we just kind of sit around and wait for summer."

"My name is Kai, I'm Head of Household for the royal family of Arendelle." He bowed slightly at the waist before continuing, "You see, two of our staff have recently been involved in… an accident, and the Queen has instructed me to find some temporary replacements for them. One of the men was our stablehand, and since his departure we've yet to find a suitable substitute for him that the animals will tolerate. And you, sir," Kai gestured at Kristoff, his arm slung across Sven's back as he chomped away on a carrot, "Have quite the- er- gift with your four-legged friend.

"What," Kristoff swallowed the bit of carrot he'd been chewing, "You mean Sven?" said reindeer tilted his head upon hearing his name, "He's family. I've never really had to deal with any other animals before. I'm not sure I'd be of much use."

"Oh please," Anna scoffed, "Remember Mr. Folstad's runaway stallion? You had that thing back in its pen in less than an hour."

"Yeah, but…"

"Or ol' Mrs. Dalby's cat. That thing _hates_ people, but you were able to coax it out of a tree in no time!"

"Yes, Anna, but I don't think that the royal stable is going to be full of cats."

"No," Kai interjected, "But you might be surprised at the number of riley horses we house." Both ice harvesters gave him quizzical looks, not quite understanding his attempt at humor.

"Wait, you did say two positions, right?" Kristoff asked, "Because if you wanted me to do anything, you'd have to let me bring feisty pants here along. We're a team."

"Of course!" Kai's reply was automatic, "We always need an extra hand helping out around the castle; cooking, cleaning, running errands. The staff is very busy year round, what with trying to help the Queen and all."

"I wouldn't be working for the Queen herself, would I?" Anna tried to sound as if she couldn't care less about that particular part of the arrangement, but the eagerness in her voice didn't go unnoticed by the men. However, only Kristoff knew the real reason behind her inquiry, and Kai simply took the tremor in her voice to be nervousness, and he smiled warmheartedly at the girl.

"Don't worry, child, you'll only be doing a few household chores, nothing involving anything overly important. Besides," his expression dropped for a moment, "The Queen… she doesn't often come out of her room. She likes to keep to herself."

"What? But she's so nice and outgoing and…" Anna shut her mouth at the glare Kristoff gave her. _Oh yeah, I'm not really supposed to know her. _"I- I mean she just seems so personable, as Queen and all. Yeah."

"The Queen is quite a remarkable young lady," Kai affirmed, "She just buries herself in her work, and it's the staff's job to support her by making sure the castle is kept up. That's admittedly a little hard to do when we're shorthanded, you see." He looked imploringly at the two youths, praying that they'd agree to his offer. The girl seemed anxious, the boy seemed wary, and the reindeer; well, the reindeer was preoccupied with the carrots boy had set down in the sleigh.

Anna was torn between shaking Kristoff by his shoulders until he agreed to take the job, or collapsing at his feet and begging him to make the stout man disappear. She'd spent countless hours over the past few months trying to block out the image of Elsa's smiling face, forcing herself to forget how blue her eyes were, attempting to wipe the feeling of her lips against her own from her mind; of course, none of that ever worked. She still became easily flustered whenever she overheard people talking about the Queen in the square, and as much as she assured Kristoff otherwise, her 'crush' on the monarch hadn't just faded with time.

Kristoff took note of the pleading look in both pairs of eyes before him. He so badly wanted to take the offer. Working at the castle was the best gig you could land in Arendelle; free meals, free board, generous pay. It was exactly what he and Anna needed, and he knew it, but that gaze of Anna's… it wasn't just begging for a job. That was certainly there, no doubt, but he could see underneath all the superficial layers that she was throwing his way. He saw the longing in her gaze. In fact, he saw that look in her eyes every day for the past eighteen months. Kristoff wasn't a fool; he knew exactly who Anna was thinking about whenever she got that dopey smile on her face. He knew exactly who brought a blush to her face at the most random times of the day. He knew the real reason his friend hated coming into town, why she always became so blue when they passed the gates without entering, always stealing glances at the veiled upper windows of Arendelle's castle.

Yes, he knew, but for the sake of his friend he feigned ignorance and hoped that she'd move on and forget her scandalous fling. It'd been months of them both pretending that nothing had happened, and nothing had changed, much to the chagrin of both youths. Kristoff finally opened up his mouth, ready to decline the offer that the Queen's servant was making, but he made the mistake of glancing down at the watery blue eyes of his best friend. The look she was giving him was enough to make him cave in, just as he had on the ice a few days ago, and that night so long ago outside the looming castle gates.

"Alright, you got me," Kristoff sighed, clasped the older gentleman's hand, and gave it a firm shake, "You've got yourself a new stablehand." Anna cleared her throat and jabbed him in the side. He rolled his eyes and smiled, "Oh yeah, and I guess you can have her do something too."

"I'm so very glad that you've accepted," Kai spoke with an obvious tone of relief as he shook Kristoff's mittened hand. Composing himself slightly, he gestured down the path that led up to the open castle gates, "Allow me to show you to the castle. Let's get a move on, shall we?"

* * *

_To Be Continued_


	7. Settling In

"And to your right we have the dining hall. It goes mostly unused, parties or feasts being the only exceptions. The Queen usually takes her meals in her study. And if you look to your left, you'll see the doors leading to the armory. If you continue down that hallway, you'll eventually find yourself in the Royal Guard's barracks…" Kai paused his tour momentarily and shuddered, "I'd advise you to cover your nose before entering. The guards aren't exactly the most _hygienic _people in the castle." He clapped his plump hands together before continuing, "Anyway, up ahead is the portrait room…"

Anna followed him in a sort of daze; hyper aware of her surroundings yet blissfully ignorant to the fact that the Head of Household was even speaking to her. She couldn't help but think that the castle was even more beautiful the second time around, or perhaps it was just that she was able to fully appreciate its beauty without having to worry about getting caught trespassing. Flowered wallpaper ran along the halls, majestic oaken doors towered high above her head, polished wood shone underfoot, reflecting her smiling face every time she happened to glimpse downwards.

_I can't wait to show Kristoff around later, _she thought. The blonde man was currently out in the castle's stables, getting Sven situated in his own personal stall before he would meet up with Anna and Kai for a quick rundown of the rules of the castle. Seeing that they had some time to spare, Kai had offered to show the young woman around her new home. They'd started with the ground floor, winding their way through the labyrinth of corridors and halls before coming to a grandiose stairway leading up to the second and third floors of the castle.

"There are actually four floors to the castle," Kai explained as they made their way up the stairs to the next level, "But the fourth floor is mainly servants' quarters, so there is a separate, private stairwell for us."

The second floor was not nearly as diverse as the first; instead of winding halls and massive doorways, Anna was met with a single, narrow passage way, dotted with much smaller doors. It was every bit as ornate and attractive as the former, but these doors seemed cozier, less formidable than those downstairs. As if he could hear the questions swimming through her mind, Kai walked up to one of the doors and turned the handle gently, "These are our guest rooms." Anna peered in over his shoulder to see a richly decorated room, complete with a large four poster bed, two cushioned armchairs as well as a small sofa, a fireplace, and a small desk in the corner. If anyone ever doubted Arendelle's wealth, all they'd have to do was visit the castle to be disproved. "Visiting dignitaries, minor nobles, in-laws; if you aren't a member of the royal family or its household, this is where you stay," Kai shout the door as gently as he'd opened it and gestured for Anna to follow him once again.

She followed him down the hall, passing room after room until they reached a rather plain-looking doorway at the end. Kai pulled out a small silver key and made a point of showing it to the girl bore sticking it in the keyhole with a light click. She couldn't control the childlike excitement that filled her at the thought of what could be behind that door, but her hopes of discovering a series of secret tunnels or seeing a baby unicorn were dashed when all she saw before her was a set of regular old stairs.

"This is the staff stairwell," Kai explained when all Anna did was give him a blank look, "It will bring you straight from the kitchen to here, and then up to the fourth floor. You are encouraged to use it when there is company in the castle, but you're free to use the main stairs as you wish." Anna nodded dumbly when he spoke, barely registering the fact that he'd placed the little silver key in her palm before continuing up the stairs. The redhead mentally kicked herself before rushing to catch up to the man. The stairs creaked under their steps, but Kai paid them no mind as he ascended higher and higher. When he'd completed one flight, Anna expected him to stop and take her onto the third floor, but he kept on climbing.

"Excuse me, Mr. Kai, sir," She came to a stop by the door that led into the third level of the castle, shivering slightly at the sudden decrease in temperature she felt standing there, "What's on the third floor?" Kai stopped his ascent and leaned over the railing to look down at Anna.

"The third floor holds the chambers of the Royal Family, although right now it's only Queen Elsa who resides there," he watched as Anna's face became slightly flushed, unsure as to what had come over the girl, "Now please, if you'd come with me, I'll show you to your room now."

Anna had a hard time tearing herself away from that door. The thought that Elsa was just beyond it was almost enough of an excuse for her just to barge right on through and throw herself onto the other woman. She'd apologize for being gone so long, beg the Queen's forgiveness for lying to her… _Even though I _technically_ didn't lie… I never said I was royalty. She just assumed. _But that didn't change the fact that she'd left the other woman without so much as an explanation as to why. So, with a final melancholy sigh, Anna turned her back to the door and followed Kai upstairs.

* * *

Kristoff shut the door quickly behind him, wanting to keep as much warmth as possible in the stables. He was impressed by just how many creatures made the castle of Arendelle their home; forty steeds were lined up inside the stables, each in a stall with a saddle and reins slung onto a hook underneath a brass plate indicating the horse's name and its rider. The ice harvester made his way down the center of the room with Sven by his side, and felt only slightly uncomfortable by the fact that every pair of eyes were focused in on him.

"Just ignore them Kristoff," he muttered under his breath, "You're in charge of them, not the other way around. You can do this. They're just horses." A whinny that sounded uncannily similar to a snort came from a horse to his left, and the man turned ever so slightly to come face to… snout?... with a monster of a horse. It easily stood three heads taller than Kristoff himself, and was as white as newly fallen snow. It's eyes seemed to sizing him up, just as a wolf would scrutinize its prey. Without even considering for a minute how strange the situation was, Kristoff knew that this horse was the man- er, animal in charge, and working there meant he'd have to pass its inspection.

Kristoff glimpsed at the plaque next to his head: **_KLAUS: QUEEN ELSA OF ARENDELLE_**. Of course this formidable beast would belong to the Queen; Kristoff could practically see the look on Anna's face when she found out that the reason they would be fired was because he had a vendetta with the Queen's personal steed.

No; he refused to let himself be beaten by a horse. He refused to be chased away by this horse, especially. He held a level gaze with the stallion, neither refusing to break as the rest of the horses (and one reindeer) watched on in eager anticipation. Kristoff, without looking away, slowly reached behind his back, grasped something from the depths of his pack, and whipped towards the horse's nose…

A carrot.

Klaus warily looked at the carrot in the man's mittened hand, then up at the smile that was now plastered on his funny, hairless face. He glimpsed at the reindeer that accompanied the human, and after a few seconds of deliberation, took the end of the carrot between his teeth, and bit off the smallest chunk possible. The grin on Kristoff's face only grew wider as the stallion eagerly took another, larger bite until the carrot was snatched out of his hand and down the horse's throat.

"So, Klaus," Kristoff started, holding out his hand palm outward to the horse, "Are we cool?" The horse's eyes flickered between the outstretched hand and its owner's face before ever so slowly leaning in to nuzzle that palm. Kristoff was practically beside himself with excitement; he hadn't even officially began working and he was already off to a good start. Hell, if he could get Klaus to like him, the rest of the horses were bound to. As if to prove his point, the horse in the stall next to Klaus leant over to nudge Kristoff's arm, nipping at his clothes as if to pull him over the bar.

"Whoa there, fella," he felt himself being turned until the animal could stick his nose down into the ice harvester's pack and withdraw a vegetable from its recesses, "Here, let me get that for you." The horse happily took the food and let Kristoff scratch between his ears, when a series of anticipating neighs filled the room. Kristoff turned and saw every horse in the stable watching him with large, excited eyes. The man's smile fell slightly when he removed his pack from hi back and glimpsed inside, "I'm gonna need more carrots."

* * *

"And here is your room, Miss Anna," Kai retrieved yet another small key from his pocket and unlocked the door before them. Anna gasped when she stepped inside after the older gentleman, completely surprised to see that the room they were standing in was practically identical to the guest quarters on the second floor; the only difference was that in place of a single, large four poster bed, there were two smaller beds on opposite sides of the room. "I hope you don't mind sharing with Master Kristoff, what with the short notice and all, this was the quickest room to fix up for you."

"N-no," Anna's voice came out a lot quieter than she'd meant it to, "I don't mind at all. It's just that… isn't this room a little… **_nice_**?"

"Miss Anna," Kai chuckled, "The Queen has the highest respect for her staff; in her eyes, we're the same as any royal that would step foot in this castle, and we- according to her- should be treated as such."

Anna's chest filled with warmth at the notion of Elsa being so generous. Of course she'd be so kind hearted; after all, she'd been nothing but sweet to Anna the night of her coronation, and she was a total stranger. These people, the household staff, she'd known them her entire life, they must practically be family.

Before she could open her mouth and find some way to embarrass herself further, however, a familiar blonde head poked in through the doorway, "Kai? I thought I heard your voice, so I just- _whoa._" Kristoff entered the room, whistling appreciatively as he inspected the wooden frame of the nearest bed. "Are we in the right place? Some guy I passed buy told me that the quarters were on the fourth floor, maybe I'm just bad at counting."

"No, Kristoff," Anna, smiled and slapped him playfully on the arm, "This is our room. Els- I mean, uh, **_Queen_** Elsa, is very kind to those who work for her," she leaned in and said in a staged whisper, "I actually think that our rooms are nicer than hers." Kristoff almost came back with a retort about Anna knowing exactly what the inside of the Queen's chambers looked like, but upon remembering whose company they were in, thought better of it.

"I'll leave you two to get settled," Kai said with a small bow and a smile, "Dinner will be provided in the kitchen at six, and please, if you feel peckish at any time do not hesitate to help yourself to anything you can find in the kitchen. Tomorrow I'll have the Head Maid, Gerda, help you procure some uniforms."

"Thank you so much for your generosity, Kai," Kristoff said with every ounce of sincerity he had.

"Why, no, Master Kristoff, thank you. And you, Miss Anna," both ice harvesters blushed slightly, "I'm sure the Queen will be delighted with you both."

* * *

A gentle but firm knock resonated throughout the room, tearing the Queen away from the latest trade agreement she'd been pondering. She bid the knocker to enter, smiling slightly when she saw it was Kai.

"Your Majesty," he bowed and stepped further into the study as he did every time he called on the Queen, "I've come to give you the daily report."

"Of course, Kai," Elsa placed her pen in the inkwell to her left and motioned for the man to sit, "Please, continue."

"I thought you might like to know that my little hunt is over," the man proclaimed proudly, not noticing the quick flicker of anxiousness in his Queen's eyes, "I've finally found the perfect replacement for Master Hardingswood."

"That's wonderful, Kai," she tried to keep her voice level, she really tried, "And who might that be?"

"A strapping young man I met in town today, by the name of Kristoff. He's excellent with animals, and I'm sure that with time, even Klaus will warm up to him."

"Kristoff?" the Queen repeated, an odd sensation travelling through her at the sound of the name, like she was supposed to know something about it but couldn't remember what.

"Yes, Kristoff," Kai continued, "And he had a friend with him who I've hired as well to help out around the castle. In fact, I just left them to get settled before I came here."

"I see," Elsa murmured distractedly, "That's good, that's good." Where had she heard that name before? She was too absorbed in racking her brain for answers that she missed Kai's next question.

"Your Majesty?"

"W-what is it, Kai?"

"Forgive me, my Queen, but I was just asking if you'd like to have your dinner brought up here to you tonight?"

The Queen thought about it for a moment before responding, "No, Kai, I believe I'll retrieve my meal tonight myself, thank you. Maybe even eat at a proper dining table, for once." Even though that last line was meant as a joke, Kai saw the sadness in the woman's eyes when she spoke. She tried to cover it up with a slight grin, "Good night, Kai."

"Have a good night, Queen Elsa," the little man bowed and left the young woman alone. Elsa waited until she was sure he was gone before slumping down in her chair and picking up her pen once again, stifling a yawn behind a gloved hand. It was bound to be a long night.

* * *

"Anna, what do you think you're doing?" Kristoff whispered, barely able to make out the silhouette of his friend rummaging around their room. After dinner, (where a majority of the time was spent with them being fawned over by the rest of the staff) the two newbies had retired to their quarters, falling asleep almost as soon has their heads hit the soft, feather pillows. That was hours ago, judging by the position of the moon, and now the redhead was bumbling around the room like a reindeer in a china shop while everyone else slept.

"I'm starving," he heard her whisper back, (not so quietly, if he might add), "Do you have any carrots left?"

"You hate carrots," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes and sitting up to watch the girl rummage through something on the floor that he could only assume was his bag, "Besides, I'm all out. These royal horses really know how to put them away. And didn't you eat at dinner? I'm pretty sure I even saw you go back for seconds."

"Yeah, so?" She ceased her searching to meet Kristoff's sleepy gaze, "I haven't properly eaten in weeks. That was, like, a snack for me. I need more." They just stared at each other for a minute before the girl got to her feet and headed for the door after pulling her coat over her nightclothes.

"Oh, come on," Kristoff whined, "Where are you going now?"

"Relax," Anna smiled, already halfway out the door, "I'm just going down to the kitchen for a midnight snack… or two. Mr. Kai said that it was okay if we helped ourselves to whatever we wanted." She rolled her eyes at his arched eyebrow, "I'll be right back, I swear. Straight to the kitchen and back."

"Whatever, just bring me back something, too." The redhead didn't even try to hide the smile on her face as she tiptoed to the servants' stairwell.

* * *

The Queen awoke with a jerk, kicking back from her desk in a flash and blinking wildly in surprise. It was dark, too dark for her to see mere inches away from her own face. She pulled herself closer to the desk , fumbling blindly until she felt her hand clasp around a small bundle of matches. Striking one, she leaned forward enough to light the pathetic stub of wax she called a candle on her desk. With its light, Elsa could see much better in the pitch black room, and what she saw was displeasing.

The mountains of paperwork she had for that day had only slightly decreased in size, and those papers that she'd been working on before dozing off were scattered across her desk and floor thanks to her outburst upon awakening. The clock on the wall read a quarter past twelve, and the Queen sighed, realizing that she would have another sleepless night ahead of her if she intended to have her work completed before the next morning. Settling herself into an upright position, Elsa drowsily reached for her pen, only to stop mid-reach when she heard the most carnal and bone chilling growl… come from her own stomach. She groaned again; she'd forgotten dinner, again.

How long had it been since she'd eaten? She wasn't sure; her days seemed to mesh together into one indistinguishable blur. Without a second thought, she reached for a small silver bell sitting on the edge of her desk, prepared to call for dinner to be sent up as soon as possible, but a second glimpse at the clock made her hesitate. It was late; the servants were probably asleep by then, or at least retired to their chambers. '_It would be terribly rude of me to wake them just to get me a snack. I'm sure I could just wait until breakfast…' _another growl emitted from her stomach, _'Or I could just get one myself.'_

With a groan, Elsa forced herself to her feet and out of her study. The moon was already rising in the sky as she made her way down the stairs, and silence embraced her when she reached the ground floor. She treasured the moments when she could leave her room, leave her responsibilities, really. It wasn't often, and never for long, but sometimes she liked to be carefree and forget that she ruled over an entire kingdom.

She knew that she didn't exactly take the best care of herself, tonight was a prime example of that, but what else was she to do with her time? Take up a hobby? _Please, what would I do, ice skate?_ Perhaps she could learn to play an instrument? _Like the piano, perhaps? I'd probably just get frustrated and end up freezing the keys._ There had been talk amidst the royal advisors of a possible future king._ Courting was always a way to waste one's time._

Frowning at her own thoughts, Elsa shook her head before turning down the hallway to the kitchen. She was about to open the door when she heard a shuffle of movement from the other side. She hesitated, gloved hand poised just over the handle, trying to decide between waiting for whoever was in there to be done or to just go in and join them. _It's probably Kai or another servant. _The Queen turned the knob silently and slid into the kitchen, prepared to greet whoever it was with a smile and small talk, but stopped dead in her tracks when the room's other occupant turned away from the cupboards and locked eyes with the monarch.

Elsa's throat seemed to close up, her heart simultaneously plummeting and soaring at the same time when her eyes settled on the form of the girl in front of her. That red hair, those startling blue eyes, those freckles, _those lips_… there was no doubt in her mind about who this girl was, and her name came tumbling off her lips before he could stop it.

"A-Anna…"

* * *

_Ok, I swear that next chapter is going to be chock full of Elsa and Anna and their terrible awkwardness and light being shed on delicate subjects, but I hope you're satisfied for now! Also, I apologize for any and all mistakes; I was too lazy to go back and reread this before posting it, so when I do eventually do that, and if I see anything majorly incorrect, I'll fix it. Until then, snowflakes._

_To Be Continued_


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